As
I always say with all these astral phenomena, unless you've been living on the
moon, you know that something is going on in the sky. This week, it’s the Geminid
Meteor Shower, which according to all reports, is particularly strong and
visible this year - perhaps even more so than its predecessors, the Leonid and
then Orionid Showers. In fact, according to all of my internet sources – the
Geminid Meteor Shower may indeed be the best meteor shower of all of 2012! (Information
here, here, here, and here).

The
Geminid Meteor Shower will be peaking on the night of December 13, 2012, and
the early morning hours of December 14, 2012. According to Earthsky.org, and
various other sources, the best time to view the Geminids is from midnight to
two (2) a.m., irrespective of where you are located. For a list of tips on how
to view the Geminids, check out Earthsky’s page HERE. And, if you don’t feel
like staying up late – or waking up early on Thursday night, the good news is
that the shower will linger into the evening of Friday, December 14, 2012, and
the early morning hours of December 15, 2012.

It’s
worth noting that the shower should be particularly visible this year, as it
coincides with a new moon, which will set well before the shower is at its peak
time, so if you have clear skies and if you’re away from any sources of light
pollution (city lights), you should be able to see quite a few meteors. As a
general rule, the Geminid Shower is always my favorite meteor shower of the
year, and since the world is ending just a week later, it is your last chance
to view a meteor shower before whatever the Mayans did or did not predict
happens! And, if you're interested in science, help NASA out, and check out
this app here
to record what meteors you can. Also, if you’re a hard science believer like
me, here’s
a solid list of reasons why 2012
isn’t real, and why I’ll be here blogging well after the world purportedly ends
next week – but until then – keep your eye on the sky!